A350 flying into Singapore

SINGAPORE - Airbus Group will showcase its A350 aircraft in Singapore next month, the first full display of the wide-body airliner at an international air show, as the European planemaker seeks to build on Asian orders.

Published: 25/01/2014 at 07:06 PM

The A350 will be on static display and also participate in flying on Feb 11 and 12 at the Singapore Airshow, Airbus said in a statement on Saturday.

Airbus first flew the jet on June 14 last year and conducted a fly-by days later at the Paris Air Show, the industry’s highest-profile gathering.

Asian carriers including Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines have ordered 244 A350s, and the region accounts for 30% of the aircraft's total sales.

The company has begun assembly of the first customer A350-900 due to be handed over to Qatar Airways by year-end.

The A350's appearance at the Singapore expo suggests that flight tests have advanced enough for Airbus to take the jet out for a few days.

"The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing market for the air transport industry and will drive future demand for wide-body aircraft in all seat categories," Airbus chief executive Officer Fabrice Bregier said in the statement.

Airbus had booked a combined 812 orders for the A350 through the end of last year after securing deals for 239 more of the jets in 2013. The planemaker has 39 customers for the aircraft.

In October, the company gained an order for as many as 56 A350s from Japan Air, a deal that signalled its penetration of a key market dominated by US rival Boeing.